Happening now: @US4AfghanPeace speaks with #AspenSecurity
On Monday, he told @VOANews' @AyazGul64 "The [Afghan] government cannot get rid of the #Taliban" & "the Taliban cannot conquer Afghanistan & have a gvt & that has the support of the overwhelming majority of the Afghans"
On Monday, he told @VOANews' @AyazGul64 "The [Afghan] government cannot get rid of the #Taliban" & "the Taliban cannot conquer Afghanistan & have a gvt & that has the support of the overwhelming majority of the Afghans"
"The situation is very concerning" @US4AfghanPeace tells #AspenSecurity
"The Talibs [#Taliban] have been emboldened by the development of recent weeks in terms of the gains they have made & are in a maximalist frame of mind"
"The Talibs [#Taliban] have been emboldened by the development of recent weeks in terms of the gains they have made & are in a maximalist frame of mind"
.@US4AfghanPeace says US assessment is that neither side can achieve a military solution
"There is no alternative, ultimately, to a political settlement"
"There is no alternative, ultimately, to a political settlement"
Negotiation should focus on bringing the #Taliban into the current #Afghanistan gvt, per @US4AfghanPeace
But #Taliban demanding "they take the lion's share of power" given their military position, Khalilzad says
But #Taliban demanding "they take the lion's share of power" given their military position, Khalilzad says
With US-#Taliban, "It's not a question of trust" per @US4AfghanPeace "We take them at their word. We hold them accountable for what they agreed"
"We are taking measures to be able to secure our interests" he adds, pointing to US moves to position over the horizon CT capabilities
"We are taking measures to be able to secure our interests" he adds, pointing to US moves to position over the horizon CT capabilities
"We are withdrawing our troops but we remain very much engaged" per @US4AfghanPeace "We will remain engaged"
US "leverage" w/#Taliban is that "they say they don't want to be a pariah state" per @US4AfghanPeace "They want to receive assistance"
"Are they going to do what it takes for that normalcy to take place? That's where the leverage comes"
"Are they going to do what it takes for that normalcy to take place? That's where the leverage comes"
US also working w/#Europe|an allies, #Russia #China #Pakistan troika, per @US4AfghanPeace on leverage
"There is a surprising broad agreement internationally as far as what kind of settlement would be acceptable"
Khalilzad says he will be mtg w/#Russia #China #Pakistan this week
"There is a surprising broad agreement internationally as far as what kind of settlement would be acceptable"
Khalilzad says he will be mtg w/#Russia #China #Pakistan this week
"Right now of course there is a war that's going on & we are supporting the #Afghan gvt, the security forces of #Afghanistan...financial resources & close air support when needed & meets the standards of the US-#Taliban agreement" per @US4AfghanPeace
"We will continue to press them, ourselves & w/our allies" @US4AfghanPeace says of interaction w/#Taliban "We will stand w/the gvt until there is a political settlement"
"But the gvt too needs to understand there is no military solution..."
"But the gvt too needs to understand there is no military solution..."
"This war has no legitimacy anymore" per @US4AfghanPeace "It's just a struggle for a balance of power, dispensation of power among various factions"
#Afghanistan
#Afghanistan
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
